Unpopular DVC Opinions

Agreed!

Unpopular Opinion (ment to be humorous): People who buy SAP’s shouldn’t be allowed to complain about 7-month availability and need to accept their life of Frankenstein split stays.

Also, anyone’s experiences on using SAPs during the summer months or prior to 2022 are not relevant to today.

I wasn't impressed with the BLT theme park view bc it was a parking lot view most of the day.

Wanking about LSL! get over it…

I agree on that. I hate the “drinking around the world” concept. Too many drunk people that ruin the magic. And they are clearly being over-served.

Epcot was always my favorite until I went during Food and Wine festival - it was so overcrowded with drunk people i couldn’t wait to get out of there. I hated exposing my kids to that environment when they were only 10 years old.

I hear this echoed a lot, but honestly in all of my times in Epcot (festivals included) I have never seen anyone blatantly drunk. Not saying it doesn't happen, I may just be extremely lucky.

But I do think Disney should be doing something about drunks in the park if that is the case.

I have two packs of Joffrey's beans in route to my house. Its so good!

I have four boxes of pods inbound.

Beach Club is overrated

The pool is nice but not woth multiple kids hard to keep an eye on them. Also I wasn't a huge fan of the rooms the only thing it really has going for it is the proximity to Epcot

They should have moved the old Fort Wilderness Train to Animal Kingdom Lodge as a direct Transportation from the Lodge to Animal Kingdom and that would make it a true Delux Resort.

How could this be unpopular? Only with accountants and bean counters!

Would have been amazing!

Totally agree, the room is just blah. The pool is people soup even in September. I'll admit it's nice but what a hassle. I have to get an armband, hunt down somewhere to put my stuff and hassle to get a tube. It is supposed to be a lazy river...I get stressed.

The Food options, particularly QS - also absolutely suck - might be the worst on property. You CAN walk to lots of places, which is nice, but not when you just want to chill at your resort, or need to bring food back with you and its cold already.

I physically timed it out on a split stay at AKV and Poly several years ago to end the argument on another forum, I posted travel times between the resorts and all 4 parks, even posted my transport -wait- times. The responses were either, outright denial or continued disbelief, moving the goal posts to various other things "but you are closer to the TTC" or "but I can go to BLT or GF", to the weirdest denial basically "but it FEELS like you are closer". Brick wall indeed.

Standardize the COFFEE MAKERS in the rooms. Why can’t they all have the side by side pot/k-cup setup.

BWV has entered the chat.

I haven't gone to the extent you have but I have sent articles to people from sites like Disney Tourist Blog on this subject and I get the same reaction.

agree 100%. However, my family and I had a great evening in one of the lounge areas! Granted it could have been in any but the server Theo helped make the night too!

For us it depends on where our room is compared to the fountains. If we are close, we buy for half the group. If we are far, no one gets one!

My husband's and my unpopular opinion is we do not like Sanaa - even the bread service! We left our most of our meals when we ate there.

My unpopular DVC opinion as I've made aware on other forums for anyone who knows me is we hate OKW. The only thing we like about it is the size of the rooms and I'm grateful to it for starting DVC.

Otherwise though, the rooms are dated, the studio layout is awkward and it's unclear if they'll ever get or if it's even possible for them to get the murphy beds. and until then must struggle with the terrible sofa beds. The resort is sprawling and is difficult to travel around. It has an internal bus loop that often fills up with people before it gets to your stop in the morning. Heaven forbid if you use a ECV and the buses fill up before it makes it to your stop. Because it is such a large resort and relies entirely on bus transportation from the parks, the bus stops are very busy at the end of the night and may take multiple buses to get on. Most buildings don't have elevators and are not accessible friendly (yes I know you can request first floor.. but you shouldn't have to). It's lacking in dining options. Olivia's isn't bad but I'm also not blown away. Transportation options are lacking, requiring a bus to go to any theme park and having boat transportation to Disney Springs. I'm sorry but I can't see a reason why I wouldn't pick Saratoga over OKW aside from room size. SSR at least has walking distance to DS unlike OKW, and more updated and nicely appointed rooms IMO.

Like I said, I will always be grateful for it starting DVC but I don't know if we'll ever stay there again unless there is literally no other option and we have to be there that day, otherwise I'd probably save the points for something else. Anywaysss that's enough ranting about OKW LOL. I apologize in advance OKW owners :X

My unpopular DVC opinion is that I don't really care for the lounge in EPCOT. I can't speak for the ones in MK or DL as I haven't tried those. Maybe it's just been our experience but I felt like we were entering a library and got the stink eye if my kids dared to make a noise. We ate our bag of chips, sipped our soda, stared at each other for a few minutes, then left.

Replying to myself LOL. Just got back from 3 nights at GF. Big Pine Key first floor, room 9140. Was given an accessible room . which we do not need. And the view was the smoking spot, literally. However, we never heard any noise at all.

We stayed in the 3bdrm villa at Jambo (amazing) and that walk was crazy long! First day we all said, “Who cares, it’s totally worth it!” By the fourth day after parks or grabbing food… it was a lot!

Ya but the Pool Table!

OK, this is my first reply and first post. My wife and I love SSR. We love that large resorts that make you feel like your inside of something. I have talked to alot of people who dont like SSR. I am a huge fan of it. Now for my 2 cent rant!!!!! We just came back from WDW 2 weeks ago and I must say how mad I was with the dress code that is being allowed in the parks. I saw a person with shorts on with long socks up to his knees. The socks said F#$K OFF all over them. I saw another person wearing a very very short skirt with half of her bottom hanging out wearing almost on underwear. This is totally unacceptable. I feel like in the past people had more decency when visiting the parks, and they knew where to draw the line. I also feel that cast members in the past would have been more on top of those things. Now you can enter almost wearing anything. Not the WDW of the past. Thanks for listening and cant wait for more discussions to pop up

I agree, I think SSR get's way more hate than it deserves. It's a really pretty resort, plus let's not forget how easy it is to sneak over to Port Orleans and get Beignets.

As for the dress code, I agree 100% Disney should do better on enforcing dress codes.
But I think this is a problem with society as a whole. Today's society lacks pride when it comes to their appearance.

I agree about the dress code. It takes a lot to shock me but we’ve seen literal butt cheeks especially at Epcot.

While I did book 1 night at Saratoga in September this year, to test the water, I'm already skeptical of how well my stay will go. There is so much hate online. People promote it as the cheapo deluxe resort for 'sleep around points' and make it sound like Disney Springs is right there, which I see as a bad thing, as it's a bubble entrance. I want to be firmly immersed.

While Disney Springs is right there the sightlines are pretty well protected. In most of the resort you wouldn't even know IMO.

I think there are definitely people who hate on SSR but it IS a relatively cheapo deluxe resort for sleep around points. That by itself doesn't take away it's value - it's true.

SSR isn't my fave - it feels like an apartment, not a resort, but for the amount of points I think it's a fairly good value.

I love SSR! I might be biased because it was my first DVC Purchase but its quiet and peaceful and I like its not connected to a park.

Poly is wildly overrated!

“Poly” comes from Greek meaning many and they did nail it because this place has many many many people who are not staying at the hotel.

At this point, Poly feels less like a resort and more like a public park:

1) Non guests everywhere (Trader Sam’s, fireworks, monorail hoppers)

2) Packed lobby and beach like it’s a festival. I would rather walk through rope drop crowds in Magic Kingdom during spring break than walk through thst lobby.

3) Zero sense of exclusivity

4) Food quality has sharply decreased

And yet… the point chart? Brutal!

You’re paying premium DVC points for:

Crowds, noise and a “deluxe” experience you’re sharing with half of Disney property.

Then there’s transportation: Yes, monorail… but also hello TTC transfer for EPCOT Nothing screams luxury like a mid ride connection. It takes like 30 mins to get to EPCOT.

TLDR

Is it nice? Sure.

Is it elite-tier? Not even close.

Many people. Many points. Not enough value.

Now for my safety... I will take a 1 week break from DVC forums. 🤣

I get what you're saying, I love the Poly but, but its not the charming oasis feeling it used to be, the main Poly ( not the tower) feels chaotic at times. I am local now but we had family down last week from Boston ( all DVC members too) and they stayed at the Poly so we spent a bit of time over there and I love visiting it but I dont feel the need to stay there too soon. I like a bit of peace after the end of a long park day. ( We didnt stay at the Poly with the fam last weel, we stayed at GF and it was a lot quieter).

The quick service at Beach Club next to the poil has them I believe.

Now you got me wanting to wait list something else for my July trip 🤣🤣.

The reasons you listed are why we didnt buy Poly. Weve stayed there once but we decided we need to give it another try and not just judge it from the ahort stay we had. We have a 10 day split stay coming up- 5 at Rov and 5 at Poly. My gut is telling me to waitlist a room at Big Pine Key, which i onow we love!

Have you tried the Poly Island Tower...I liked it much better than the longhouses.

We have not stayed there as we are a family of 5 and prefer studios. 1BR’s there are astronomical. It is a beautiful place though. We absolutely love eating at Wailulu.

Yes, the point charts are not favorable. I stayed in a studio. It is more my vibe, elegant, quiet, and subtly themed. The views are stunning and Wailulu is delicious!

You are Spot on IMNSHO! The outside of PIT screams Medical Center, not Island Paradise. From other posts I gather that Bell Services has not worked out how to serve the tower well. Long Waits, No shows, etc. I have talked to many members that share the poor opinion of all that is PIT. But it continue to sell. To each their own. I would much rather enjoy a low key stay at BWV or OKW than put up with the crowds and noise that is the Poly.

We stayed in the PIT last October and other than watching Florida Fish & Game wrestle with an alligator across the street; we were not impressed and it was a one and done for us.

I think you can say this about all of the monorail resorts - they are just too busy because frankly it is too easy for people who are not staying there to visit them to dine, shop, or just look around (yeah I am guilty of that). They are also DVC resorts attached to large hotels.

Complain all you want about the isolation of SSR and OKW but people who aren't staying at those resorts do not go to those resorts. Not a bad thing...

My unpopular opinion is the Perch bar in the GF lobby is not necessary and cheapens the whole aesthetic of the lobby. Someone cannot go up to the second floor for the Enchanted Rose? I preferred the seasonal huts built (Gingerbread House, Bunny Hutch or whatdver it was called) which have disappeared with the opening of the bar. They even relocated the Easter Egg display to make people search for them.

i agree with you. It just semes so unnecessary, like a money grab. We stayed

At GF for 3 nights last week never went anywhere near it but went to Enchanted Rose every night.

I will argue that SSR wins the award of "DVC Resort That Has Gotten Better With Age"

We purchased at SSR in 2006 because that is what they were selling at the time and we got a good deal. However, we rarely stayed there because it cost more points than OKW so we figured that we would stay at OKW and get a bigger room with less points.

Then in 2015 they bifurcated the points between Standard and Preferred and now SSR is sometimes cheaper than OKW.

Then they knocked it out of the park with the 2020 hard goods refurbishment. SSR got the same type of rooms as Riviera and they are really nice.

We now stay there a lot and I've really come to appreciate it. I love staying in the Grandstand - Standard rooms so its a good point value but the Grandstand has its own pool, its own pool bar, its a short walk to the Carriage House, and it is the first bus stop (great for returns and on busy mornings) but also a close walk to the last bus stop for times when the buses are not so crowded.

Grandstand is our favorite section we love it more than the Springs, which is in the prefered section and more points

Blasphemy!!! LOL. I get it. We are BCV owners and LOVE it. I agree the view from the rooms S-U-C-K-S. However, Storm Along Bay is legit and easily the best pool on property. Best of all, BCV is literally 50 yards from the Epcot World Showcase entrance. We enjoy a nightcap each night at Epcot, so BCV's proximity to Epcot can't be beat!!

I'll jump in with an unpopular opinion: SSR is actually a good resort and isn't just for "sleep around points".

We stayed there for the first time for a Run Disney race. By the time the bibs went on sale, we were well past the 7 month booking window. The only resort we could get was SSR. We decided to make it a "park free" trip since our trip was only 3.5 days. We stayed in Congress Park and the proximity to Disney Springs was awesome! The rooms were nice, too. Not that we will stay here too often, but I won't be too upset if we are "forced to" again.

If our contract doesn't get purchased by Disney then we plan on staying at SSR for the extra days we want to add to our trip. We probably won't do it this time but the kids want to stay at the Treehouse Villas.

Here is an unpopular Epcot opinion:

You can absolutely start in Canada! Have you ever heard the term "it's not how you start, but how you finish"? Well, do you really want to end in Canada? Heck no! That would be like having your spoon full of sugar before the medicine. Take your medicine (Canada) first, then enjoy the sweetness of the rest of the World Showcase. So start in Canada and check that box, then scoot off to Mexico. You will end up finishing in the UK, which is perfect.

I hear too many people say "friends don't let friends start in Canada". I couldn't disagree more.

Nailed it Starting in Canada with an Ottawa apple and maple popcorn and ending in Mexico with chips and guac and a marg cannot be beat.